Saints Depth Chart: Rookie Earns Starting Role, Cam Jordan’s Status Looms

Rookie wide receiver Barion Brown’s rise continues with a starting designation, while Cameron Jordan’s spot atop the depth chart raises questions about his availability for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

Dec 21, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) during the run outs before the game against the New York Jets at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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The New Orleans Saints released their unofficial depth chart a little over a week before opening the season against the Detroit Lions on September 13.

Most of the lineup holds no surprises, remaining largely static outside of injury updates. Still, even subtle adjustments offer key insights into where the team stands.

Here are two major takeaways from the Saints' initial depth chart release.

Barion Brown is Designated as a Starter

One of the biggest standouts of training camp has been rookie wide receiver Barion Brown.

As the receiving corps' primary speed threat, Brown brings a versatile skill set reminiscent of Rashid Shaheed. Beyond his initial role as the primary return specialist, he showcased broad offensive utility throughout camp. In addition to consistently producing downfield plays, he capped off his preseason with a 7-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep against the Dallas Cowboys during the preseason finale.

"I knew he was an explosive player, but I didn't know he could play like that,” Saints left tackle Kelvin Banks said. “He's a dog, man. Even from the first practice, I seen him make some cuts, and run some routes and explode off the ball, and I was like 'yeah, he's going to be special.'"

Will Cam Jordan Suit Up for the Season Opener?

Cameron Jordan being listed as a starting edge rusher on the Saints' initial unofficial depth chart stood out as one of the most notable takeaways.

While the 16-year veteran and franchise sack leader is listed as a starter, an ankle injury from early training camp puts his status for the season opener in doubt.

Still, keeping him atop the depth chart over Chase Young and Carl Granderson highlights his continued role as a key defensive leader.

Does this suggest he will be back for the season opener? Head coach Kellen Moore advises caution.

“We’ll see how this week goes. We’ll probably have a better idea at the beginning of next week. We’ll have a couple of practices this week, and then next week we should have a good idea, honestly, of what workload those guys are able to do. That will project us into what Week 1 will look like.”

Of course, we will find out next week as we will get plenty of media availability next week.

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